


The Right Sort

by Parks and Fluff (GamblingDementor)



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Parks and Recreation
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Cats, F/M, Gen, Hufflepuff, Love at First Sight, Unresolved Romantic Tension
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-18
Updated: 2016-01-03
Packaged: 2018-04-27 01:11:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5027947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GamblingDementor/pseuds/Parks%20and%20Fluff
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>There are places we want to be part of, but which severely limit our true self. Then there are places that uplift our spirits and expand our potential more than we ever even begin to suspect. I've found the perfect house for your potential.</i>
</p>
<p>How April Ludgate learns to accept the cards she's been dealt with when she starts her first year in Hogwarts. With the help of a particularly charming young wizard who seems to have cast a spell on her heart.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Patience

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> April's first day at Hogwarts and how the Sorting Hat sees her future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspiration for the Common Room is mostly the canon description of the Hufflepuff Basement from Pottermore, but also Whisperwings' design on DeviantArt. Check out their art, it's pretty nice.

 

April takes a big breath, trying to ignore the nervous pounding of her heart. _You can do this. You're an_ actual _witch. This is what witches do._ She lets go of her luggage trolley to flex her fingers, then grasps it tight again. In her pocket, Baby Satan is croaking anxiously. She's been told it's easier when you close your eyes. Tom is waiting for her on the other side, she's sure, and he's explained her how it's done a million times ever since she got the letter. She eyes the brick wall up and down, checks the platform signs one last time ( _Nine and ten, this is the place_ ), then squeezes her eyes shut and runs straight ahead, pushing the trolley with all her strength.

 

She had half expected Tom's instructions to be a prank, but suddenly, she _doesn't_ hit the wall and finds herself on a crowded platform, surrounded by loud witches and wizards all gathered here for the same purpose: witnessing children of all ages being sent off to that Hogwarts school that has been on April's mind all the time the past couple months. Everywhere, parents hug, kiss, or even scold their offspring one last time and April considers herself lucky for having said her goodbyes in the main station an hour ago. It's not like her parents and Natalie would have been able to go through the wall anyway, so why delay the inevitable?

 

By some wonder despite the tall crowd surrounding her, she spots Tom on the other end of the platform, mingling with a bunch of people she's never met, and anxiously wonders if he will insist on sharing a compartment with them. But she supposes it's better to ride this huge train for hours and hours with one person she knows and a few strangers than spend the whole time alone panicking. Especially if that person is Tom Haverford, one of her only friends. Anxiety is already creeping up on her and she might just need Tom's enormous (and yes, at times overbearing) confidence to keep her at ease. The nervousness is so overwhelming that she doesn't even notice an older girl until said girl bumps into her and sends April crashing on the floor.

"Oh, crap of a hag, I'm so sorry!"

 

As suddenly as she was pushed down, she gets pulled back to her feet by this blonde girl with a shiny, shiny badge on her chest and a bright smile. April frowns, then puts a hand in her pocket to make sure Baby Satan is doing all right after such a fall. He is, and gnaws at her finger toothlessly like only a toad could.

"Are you okay? Did I hurt you? I'm so sorry, I didn't see you!"

 

April finds herself aggressively dusted off by the girl and somehow wants to scowl at her even more. She does _not_ like to be treated like a baby. Brushing past her, she tries to take ahold of her trolley and just walk away but the girl just grabs it for her and pushes it along the platform, looking for a not-so-crowded door to make April climb through.

"You're in first year, right? I'm the new Headgirl this year. Leslie Knope."April grunts. Tom is still laughing his butt off with these people she doesn't know. She glares at them − not that they can see her, from a distance."Are these your friends?" Leslie asks, following April's eyes."Mmh."

 

They're not, not really. Tom may be, but hopefully she won't have to talk to the other ones, or even to him. It's just that, if she's left alone to her stress, she won't be able to take it.

"You're just a grumpy little thing, aren't you?" Leslie asks as she pushes the trolley towards Tom's group of friends for April."What?" April snaps."Nothing. I just think first years are cute. I hope you end up in Gryffindor," Leslie says and _pinches her cheek._  


 

  
_I hope not_ , April thinks, and really, she has no desire to be around someone who pinches her cheek. She begs whatever force is in charge of doing the sorting that she won't end up in Gryffindor with her.

"I'll take it from here, thanks, bye."Before watching Leslie's reaction, she just takes back her trolley and walks up to Tom as fast as she can."Hey, Ludgate! Thought you wouldn't make it!" Tom says and laughs his overly loud snicker April has never really liked but tolerates because Tom is sort of her friend."I'm not gonna miss my own first day at Hogwarts," she says and pats Baby Satan in her pocket to soothe her nerves."Right. Well, let me introduce you to Mona-Lisa and Jean-Ralphio Saperstein."

 

He and that Jean-Ralphio do some sort of secret handshake that April finds annoying and unnecessary, and just like that, she gets to spend a whole day with three people she doesn't understand. But at least, they're three wizards and three people who know more about Hogwarts than she does, and she's always happy to hear more about the magical world.

After having some older pupils lift their trunks into the train (Tom has many connections, even here) and finding a compartment, she can finally sit down next to the window and listen in on the conversation, looking at the scenery scrolling before her. It still baffles her how Tom can just strike up conversation with perfect strangers just like that, and they become his new best friends. At some point during the fourth and fifth bag of Chocolate Frogs (she's careful not to give any chocolate to Baby Satan, as she's been told it's bad for toads), the talk turns toward discussing Hogwarts.

 

"Okay, okay, okay, but tell me now, T. H., what house are you reaching for? Where's the Sorting Hat placing you, champ?" asks Jean-Ralphio, who has crazy hair and an annoying voice.

 

April has heard about the Sorting Hat, how it's supposed to be this big surprise but everyone who has some sort of connections can know exactly what sorting is all about. She has to admit she isn't too eager to put on an old wrinkly hat on her head but if that'll put her in the right house.

"Erm, DUH! Only the best house in the world! Slytherin for li'l Tommy."They do another handshake that make it seem like they're hissing a little bit and April is ashamed to admit that she finds that kind of cool. Tom has told her some things about the houses, mostly Slytherin, and she's now convinced that's where she's going.

 

"Any house that lets me do whatever I want is fine for me," Mona-Lisa says and she's got a glint in her eyes that April is a bit wary of. "'S long as I can make my potions the way I did at home with Daddy."

"How 'bout you, pretty?" Jean-Ralphio turns to her and she frowns at the name."Dunno," she says and looks away so he'll stop talking to her."Well, April's muggleborn, you see," Tom says. "She doesn't know a lot about the houses.""I know enough!" she retorts. "If you really wanna know, I think I'll go to Slytherin.""Joining up the cool gang, huh? _Nice_ ," Jean-Ralphio says."I mean, I'm a daughter of Satan anyway.""What's that?""Nevermind.""I mean, now that I think about it, I don't know where you'd even go if not Slytherin," Tom laughs. "You're creepy."She nods. Creepy, that's her."Can you imagine if you end up in, say, _Hufflepuff_?" He giggles. "That'd be so ridiculous. You and I are gonna be just fine in Slytherin, with my boy Jean-Ralphio."

 

"Or maybe Gryffindor?" Jean-Ralphio asks. "I mean, you're fierce, right?"

"Erm…"She thinks about Leslie Knope, who told her she hoped she'd end up in Gryffindor, and tells herself there is no way she'd ever be in the same house as that one. Talking to people she doesn't know? Being brave and daring? _Chivalrous_? No thanks. April likes to sneak her way through life unnoticed.And that's how she spends the rest of the ride to Hogwarts too. Silent, lost in thoughts, pondering about what her new life as a witch. When that woman (she called herself Jen Barkley, teacher of Transfiguration, and her magic tricks to prove her claims were _awesome_ ) showed up at her doorstep two months ago, telling her she had magical powers, everything fell into place for April. No more getting taunted, pushed around, no more hiding in closets and freaking people out. Yes to jinxing them, making them crawl away in fear and making _them_ angsty in her presence.The whole ride is a long series of listening to Tom and his new friends talk about magic (she's known Tom for years, but only since he's learned that they would be going to Hogwarts together has he started to hang out with her all the time), chiming in from time to time (all three of them grew up with at least one magical parent, she didn't), eating weird candy, petting Baby Satan and trying to communicate with him telepathically (she can't quite tell if it doesn't work, or if it does and the toad just doesn't like her) and trying to remember everything she's learned about Hogwarts so far. When the train starts slowing down, the excitement filling her heart is mixed with some apprehension.April isn't sure how many pupils Hogwarts hosts, but one thing is certain: it's a lot more than her old primary school. The crowd getting out of the train is _everywhere_ and soon, she loses sight of Tom or the annoying twins. A raspy voice from the end of the platform calls out:"First years! First years, come this way!"

 

Without bothering to look for Tom (it's not like he's looking for her anyway), she follows the voice and finds that it belongs to a tall lanky man with gray hair and a scruffy stubble. He looks around, apparently trying to assess the size of the group.

"Are all first years here?"A group of a few dozen students has gathered around him. Surrounded by others, April feels like one of the smallest."I'm Ron Dunn, Keeper of the Keys and Grounds of Hogwarts. And, er, let's get going, kiddos!"

 

He leads them through a narrow dirt path across the woods and April is feeling really good about this. Outside at night, a bumpy toad in her pocket, wearing black robes, with the moon shining on her? This is exactly what she is in for. And riding boats across a lake black as ink, where dangerous creatures dwell and might just attack at any time, that's just the best. She can't wait to explore this part of the school grounds. Maybe get Baby Satan to swim a little bit. Toads love swimming, right? In all honesty, she doesn't know much about toads. She's just read that students could bring pets and if she's going to be a great witch of darkness, what's a more witch-like pet than a toad?

 

Hogwarts takes her by surprise. She's looked at pictures in her books, she's heard heard Tom talking about it like he's been there before (she knows he hasn't), yet nothing to prepare her to the beauty of the place. Hogwarts is _grand_. More turrets than she can count, lit up by flickering orange lights, buildings in shapes she didn't know were even possible. If the outside is so impressive, how much more amazing the inside must be? The answer is soon to come. As soon as they get off the boats, the Keeper of the Keys lead them to a stone staircase that is eroded by the weight of thousands of students over hundreds of years, a huge oak door in front of them. He knocks three times.

"Ron," says the man who opens the door, sourly. He is shorter, plumper, and his thick mustache hides a mouth that doesn't look like it is used to smiling. April likes him instantly."Ron," says Ron Dunn, nodding."First years?" The other Ron asks."All of them, friend.""Don't call me 'friend'," he says and gestures to the pupils. "Get in."

Silently, he leads them inside, through an entrance hall bigger than anything April has ever seen, then to a smaller room. He turns around and looks over the group sternly, checking they're all there. Then he clears his throat loudly and addresses them.

 

"This is your first year at Hogwarts, which means you'll be sorted into our four houses. Their names are Hufflepuff, Gryffindor, Slytherin and Ravenclaw. All four houses have had good witches and wizards. All of them have had bad ones. Why the school still proceeds with a sorting ceremony instead of the natural selection of the best wizards through dueling is beyond me, but this is how it works. Ron Swanson."

 

After that brief welcome, he opens the door behind him to guide them inside what she's learned is the Great Hall. Rows of students are staring at them − technically, looking at them with smiles and waving, but April feels so nervous that nothing feels very friendly to her. The rest of the room is vastly too overwhelming to focus on just one thing − candles in the air, night sky under the ceiling, moving paintings, one ghost in a corner, the whole place is _magical_. Her heart has never beaten faster.

 

Professor Swanson brings a hat and a stool and just like April heard about, the Sorting Hat starts to sing. Something about how all houses are great, yadda yadda, April doesn't really care for that. Or does she? She knows the house she's going to, but it's good to know who she's going to be dealing with, isn't it? So she listens to the Sorting Hat's song and admittedly, it's actually quite interesting. Just a hat singing is in and of itself quite a sight and the descriptions of the different houses give her a vastly better picture of the people who might be sorted there than anything Tom ever told her. She just _knows_ she's going to hate hanging out with Gryffindors, for example. Brave and daring? No thanks. Sneaky jerks for her, thank you very much.

 

When the song is over, Professor Swanson pulls out a parchment and nods at the first years, gesturing towards the Hat, getting their attention so they're ready to sit on the stool and put the Hat on when it's their turn.

 

April silently eyes each boy and girl who puts on the Sorting Hat, sits there for some amount of time (so far ranging from three seconds to a few minutes) and goes to sit at the corresponding table. Student after student pass before her. She notices most of them are beaming as soon as they've heard which house they've been sorted in and figures that the Hat is doing a great job.

"Chen, Orin."A tall boy with pale skin and dark bags under his eyes puts on the hat. April feels some connection with him, somehow, like they could be friends, and finds herself crossing her fingers for him to end up in Slytherin like her."RAVENCLAW!"

 

She frowns. Too bad. The other first years keep getting called and sorted. April waits. The students already sitting look at them curiously. April isn't too eager to have them stare at her when she puts on the hat. Still, her turn will come. But first, Tom's does. He steps in front of the crowd, a smug smile on the lips, sits on the stool, puts on the hat.

 

"SLYTHERIN!" The Sorting Hat shouts mere seconds after it touches Tom's head.

 

Tom grins knowingly and goes on to sit with his new house.

 

"Ludgate, April," Professor Swanson calls out a few moments later.

 

Slowly, April walks up to him and sits on the stool. She looks over the crowded room, takes a big breath. Somehow her resolve is a little bit less firm now, the stress overtaking her by each second. She puts on the Hat and her anxiousness hits its highest point as it completely covers her eyes. 

"Well well well, what have we here?" a soft voice whispers against her ear, coming directly from the hat itself.April sits still and waits for it to state the obvious.

 

"What potential indeed. I see great loyalty ready to find its kin… Oh, but there's fierceness that hides a gentle heart."

 

_Just put me in Slytherin already._   


 

"What's that? Mmh, Slytherin, you say? No, I shouldn't think so… Some roads are best not traveled alone, lest they lead to perdition. Slytherin would only mean isolation for you. And there's a desperate need for a pack here. No lack of talent either, that's for sure… Yes, yes, I've found the perfect place for you to fulfill your potential."

 

_What? No, I wanna go to Slytherin!_   


 

"There are places we want to be part of, but which severely limit our true self. Then there are places that uplift our spirits and expand our potential more than we ever even begin to suspect… The best place for you is HUFFLEPUFF!"

 

Horror struck, April realizes that the Hat stopped talking as the room starts clapping and cheering. She's been sorted. In _Hufflepuff_. She glances over at Tom at the Slytherin table, begging for some help, but he's too busy chatting with his new housemates already. People mistake her sitting there befuddled for confusion and every student sitting in the second table from the right wave at her, beckoning her to come sit with them. _There's been a mistake,_ April thinks. _Wake up. You're not a Hufflepuff. Wake up and go to Slytherin_. But nothing happens. The Hat's sorted her, it's done. Professor Swanson nods toward the Hufflepuff table and there's nothing she can do but go along as he calls the next student (Malwae-Tweep, Shauna), who also ends up in Hufflepuff shortly after April.

 

A few of her now housemates (she shudders thinking of them as such) make room for her to sit next to them, all of them smiling and being friendly. Ugh. What place has she gotten into? She tries to avoid meeting their gaze and focuses on the other people getting sorted. Every time a student gets sorted in Slytherin, she can't help but look at them longingly and sigh. Even one of the twins who was with her in the train (Saperstein, Jean-Ralphio) gets to be in Slytherin before his sister is made a Gryffindor. One by one, all the students get a new home and April has to swallow the bitter truth that she has been sorted into a house she never wanted. Finally, Professor Swanson takes away the stool and the hat, and the wizard sitting in the center of the teacher table stands up.

 

"Erm, hello everyone! Welcome to Hogwarts. I'm the Headmaster, Garry Gergich. Jeez, erm, I hope everyone has a great time this year! Just do your best! Also, congratulations to Leslie Knope and Ben Wyatt, our new Headgirl and Headboy. And, erm, enjoy your meal! Thank you."

 

By magic, dozens of dishes have appeared on the table and if she can't be happy about where she is, April can at least find some comfort in the fact that this is the best meal she's had in her life. It's as if the table itself knew how to cater to her desires. Pretty incredible. Sadly, someone soon notices that she's eating silently with her head down and she gets poked on the shoulder.

"Hey, erm, hi. I'm Mark."She frowns at him. He looks boring and annoying.

 

"Nice to meet you," he insists.

"Mmh."

 

"Wow, you're just _really_ talkative, aren't you?"

"I don't wanna talk to you.""April Ludgate!" An overly cheerful guy exclaims from across the table. "That's not a very positive attitude! Here in Hufflepuff we like to keep it light and happy. Don't we, Mark Brendanawicz?"Mark sighs, as if he's heard that a million times."Yeah, sure. Well, welcome to Huffle...""Welcome to Hufflepuff!" The other guy interrupts and holds up his hand for April to shake, which she does very reluctantly. "I'm Chris Traeger, it's my seventh year here. It's so nice to meet you.""Sure.""Are you happy to be here?" A third boy with round cheeks and very white teeth asks. "I think everyone should just always be happy.""That's so true!" The girl next to April says, the one who got sorted just after her."I know, right?" He says with a huge grin that makes April wanna shove a fist into his mouth. "Name's Bobby, Bobby Newport.""I'm Shauna.""Welcome to Hufflepuff, Shauna. And you too, April.""I think it's _fantastic_ to have new students," Chris says. "I don't think I've ever been this happy.""Isn't that what you said last year?""That is _exactly_ what I said last year, Bobby. Good memory."

 

Bobby smiles as if he's just been given a gold star. April, who had very little interest in the conversation to begin with, takes out her toad from her pocket and sees if it likes anything. Baby Satan takes a few gooey steps, licks a slice of roast beef, tries to chew it. The whole scene is actually pretty cute. At least one of them is enjoying this, she thinks.

"Do you have family in Hogwarts, April?" Bobby asks.

 

She shakes her head. In fact, she doesn't think anyone in her family has _ever_ been to Hogwarts. Jen Barkley said April was the first Ludgate to ever be summoned to the school of witchcraft and wizardry. Maybe some ancestor on her mother's side, but none in living memory.

 

"My brother Nick's in Slytherin, and so was my dad before him, but I'm just so happy to be here in Hufflepuff."

She scowls but before she can answer anything, Chris chimes in."I agree. I think Hufflepuff is _literally_ the best house in the school. And Gryffindor, and Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. We're all winners."The rest of the meal is much the same. All the people around her have a great time, April eats silently and checks on her toad. One table away, Tom and Jean-Ralphio are laughing at something a girl said. They look like they're having a lot of fun. April sighs and turns back to her own table, getting herself another slice of cake.

 

The end of the feast comes as a blessing. The Headmaster (who might as well be a Hufflepuff for how ridiculous he is — Bobby later tells Shauna that he is, in fact, a Hufflepuff) suggests they sing the school anthem (April hates singing, or at least singing in front of people), then wishes them a good night.

 

"All right, first years in Hufflepuff, follow me!" Chris shouts.

 

Sighing, April gets in line with about a dozen other students and Chris does a quick headcount before leading them toward the entrance hall and down a flight of stairs. The walk is rather short, as they soon find themselves in front of a row of barrels in a narrow corridor. Chris gives them a huge grin.

 

"Here we are. The Hufflepuff basement. Perd?"

 

A chubby black guy with a flattop steps up right next to Chris and clears his throat.

 

"The entrance to the Hufflepuff basement is the way we pass through to go inside it."

 

Chris nods frantically.

 

"Thank you Perd. Now, the way to do that is to tap this barrel right here to the rhythm of the founder of our house, Helga Hufflepuff, like this."

 

He taps on the second barrel from the bottom in the middle of the second row and somehow the lid swings open, exposing a passageway that he then crawls through. _Is this a school or a network of setts?_ April wonders but she crawls through like the others.

 

At the end of the short tunnel is a round door leading to the common room and April feels like she's just been hit by a bus. A bus of warmth and coziness and pleasure. For before her eyes is the most comfortable room April has ever seen. Round and large, the Hufflepuff basement is filled with plush couches and armchairs and plants are ornamenting every nook and cranny, their smell filling the room with sweetness. Around the beige stone walls, several fireplaces and copper lanterns light up the room with a dimness that make it feel intimate and familiar. Even without anyone inside, the whole place would feel like it was bursting with life. With students, it is, simply put, a picture of comfort and family.

 

April gulps. All of a sudden, she is filled with sensations she thought she wouldn't have to face in Hogwarts. A desire for comfort, for quiet. She'd always thought she would fit right in in Slytherin with its dark damp dungeon, but now that she's here, her resolve is starting to fail her ever so slightly. She sees a fat little armchair in a corner and finds herself picturing a quiet evening of reading books about dark magic in that very armchair. She hears a group of students chat excitedly about their holidays and wonders if she'll find friends here − she isn't looking for any, at least. But stranger things have happened. She's discovered she's a witch. What's making friends compared to that?

 

"Alright, so, through this door, you will find the girls' dormitories, and through this one, the boys' dormitories," Chris says, pointing to two large round wooden doors whose yellow paint is starting to peel. "You will find your name on the door of the dormitory you've been assigned to. Your belongings have already been moved. I wish you all an amazing night and I will see you tomorrow morning!"

 

April glances at the other first years, but most of them soon make their way through the doors to the dormitories, so April turns in too. She'll have plenty of time to explore the rest of the common room tomorrow. And the weight of the day is starting to wear on her. She climbs through the door, which leads to another passageway ( _How many of these are there? This really does feel like a burrow_ ) and after three doors bearing the names of strangers she's going to have to see every day now, she finds the one that has a little burnished copper plaque with, among others, the name 'April Ludgate' on it in round cursive letters.

 

Inside the room are half a dozen four-poster beds with richly decorated patchwork quilts, arranged around the room in such a way that you can see all the other ones from any of these beds. The head of each bed is buried inside the wall and for once, April sees the point of making the place look like a burrow. She can definitely see herself enjoying being in a bed that's like a nest where no one else can reach her.

 

"Hey, April, right?" A tall blonde girl sitting on the edge of one of the beds says as she stands up to give April a surprise hug.

 

April frowns and waits until the other girl is done. She's never been one for hugs, especially not from strangers in a house she never wanted to be a part of.

 

"Yeah."

 

"I'm Millie, we're going to share a room this year! I know other houses put students in rooms based on the year they're in, but we here in Hufflepuff like to mix it up. Feels more like a family."

 

"Okay," April says and spots her trunk against one of the beds − the one closest to the fireplace, she notices thankfully. She makes her way there and notices the delicate carvings of fruits and leaves in the wooden beams of her bed.

 

"First year, right? I don't think I've seen you before."

 

"Yeah," April replies and opens the heavy lid of her trunk to get her nightdress out.

 

"Oh, right, you must be so tired, I'm sorry. Good night, April!"

 

She leaves the room and April sighs from relief, hoping for some quiet, but finds that some other girl opens the door right away. She's short, with straight black hair, and gives April a friendly wave before walking to her own bed, which happens to be right next to April's.

 

"First year?"

 

"Yes," April says with more bite than she probably should, but she wonders how many times anyone is going to ask her that exact question.

 

"I'm Madison. Fourth year."

 

"Okay."

 

Madison looks like she's waiting for more, but then realizes April isn't going to say anything, so she climbs onto her bed through the back.

 

"Good night, then," she says with a smile and closes the quilt of her bed behind her.

 

"G'night," April replies and, after changing into her nightwear and putting Baby Satan on her nightstand next to a glass of water that's already there , buries herself under the heavy covers of her bed. They're yellow and black and made of the softest wool April has ever set her hands on. She's fast asleep before the other girls even enter the dormitory a few short instants later, and dreams of badgers fighting snakes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, if you read this and enjoyed it, consider leaving a comment to tell me what you liked :) It really means the world to get feedback.


	2. Hard Work

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which April learns many things about Hogwarts during her first week of classes.

There are many things that April learns just during her first week at Hogwarts. As she wakes up the day after the Sorting, she learns that there is no alarm clock in the Hufflepuff basement. Rather, she finds out that instead of loud beeps or worse, her parents calling after their  _Zuzu_ , somehow sounds of nature come out of the wall, as if there were speakers hidden somewhere with recordings of a light breeze whistling, birds chirping and toads croaking. A quick glance to her left tells her that the toad sound is actually just Baby Satan on her pillow, happy to see her, but that doesn't explain the rest. Millie notices her looking around quizzically and gives her a friendly smile, explaining that the Hufflepuff basement lies just under a beautiful field of flowers and that there's a spell cast over it for the sounds to seep through at an appropriate time and wake up the students in the most pleasant way possible.

 

"That's gross," April says but when Millie asks what she just said, she pretends it was nothing.

 

Another thing she learns that day is that Ron Swanson is Head of Hufflepuff House. After all the girls sharing the room have had their turn in the washroom (one for six of them, April thinks that's rather lacking, but she supposes they'll find arrangements and at least, the copper bathtub has a tap that lets out bubbles in any color you're thinking of − April takes a black bath), someone comes knocking at the door to warn them that Professor Swanson is calling all students in the common room.

 

"A fine morning to you all," he says in an unwavering and dare she say unemotional voice. She likes it. "Today is the first day of classes. I'd like to remind everyone that the race to the House Cup is starting once again as well. Please remember that the win is not determined by luck, as there is no such thing, but by everyone's hard work. I believe everyone should work diligently at matters worth studying and do away with childish concerns."

 

As he says that, he eyes a group of boys in a corner who look away, giggling. From the look of them, this is probably not the first time he's said this.

 

"I have brought your timetables. I will ask the prefects to hand them out for me as I am not looking to learn any names. The Quidditch try-outs will be held in October by the Captain of the team, Chris Traeger. Please defer all questions pertaining to Quidditch or any other matter to him. Good day."

 

He leaves the room before anyone can even try to ask him any follow-up question despite his demand. A few of the older students, including Millie, Chris and Perd, give out rolls of parchments to every student present in the room. As she looks at her timetable, April learns that the Hufflepuffs share some classes with other houses. In fact, her very first class at Hogwarts is Transfiguration with Ravenclaw. She tells herself that this may be an opportunity to find friends outside of this ill-suited house she'd been dealt. The boy she's noticed yesterday, Orin Chen, was made a Ravenclaw, after all. She might try to talk to him. Or rather, she would if she was the kind of person who talks to people. She might try to sit next to him some time. Not today though. She'll just look at him intently and hope he understands that maybe she'd like to be his friend some day.

 

"Hello, everyone," the teacher says as she enters the classroom, bursting with energy. April immediately recognizes her as Jennifer Barkley. "This is the class of Transfiguration, so if you're in the wrong place, please go away."

 

No one leaves. She gives a bright smile that also says she might gobble them all up and starts the class.

 

"Great! So… Transfiguration, am I right? Turning things into better things… Who wants to be the boring old fart with the lame robes and the smelly cat at the party when you can just turn your filthy kitty into a proud tiger, your robes into fancy dresses and turn yourself into a better version of yourself?"

 

She smiles and waves her wand. A book on her desk turns into a warm mug of tea that she takes a sip of before grabbing a student's copy of the Transfiguration manual. She checks something, slams it shut and gives it back to the girl it belongs to with a wink.

 

"Okay, exercises are on page twelve, get started right now, come find me if you have any question."

 

And just like that, she sits by her desk and starts reading the newspaper, completely uninterested in the class she's giving. April is more than a little thrilled to notice that the pictures are moving, just like Tom showed her this summer with a few brochures he got from his mom. April would love to look at the newspaper for the rest of the lesson, watching the people swirl and wave and hide, but she snaps out of it when she realizes that she is about to do magic for the first time right now and that it's frankly just as exciting.

 

As the class goes and April gets to work, trying to follow the instructions as best as she can, she soon notices that some Ravenclaws can be rather hurtful. Two of them, who introduce themselves as Ben and Derek, seem like decent guys at first when they turn around to see how April and another Hufflepuff sitting next to her are doing and show their own results, but as soon as she tries the exercise herself (turning a match into a needle), they begin to criticize her technique. She's barely started to wave her wand but suddenly, she's holding her wand too loose, she's not pronouncing the spell properly, she's not keeping her wand high enough, she's doing this, she's doing that… What she certainly isn't doing is enjoying her first class, and for that, April is furious. She's about to tell the two jerks that they're lame and gross when the Hufflepuff boy next to her whose name she hasn't cared to ask speaks up.

 

"Could you please leave her alone? She's doing the best she can. You're distracting her."

 

"Whatever…"

 

They shrug and turn back around, muttering something about Hufflepuffs being stuck up and lame. April isn't quite sure how she feels about the whole thing, but by the end of the lesson, and with Taylor's help (he introduced himself after that), she's won Hufflepuff fifteen points by turning three matches into needles. And wasn't that the point after all?

 

Not all classes happen to be frustrating, but all of them technically require all her attention. April hasn't been the most focused student in the class in the past, but this is different. This is witchcraft, the most interesting thing in the world, and she feels like every single class could be preparing her to greatness. Not all of them do, but the classes that are actually great are  _actually great_.

 

And so her first week is marked by learning. Just on her first day of classes, she learns once and for all that magic is a lot more complicated than every TV show ever made it seem. After supper, which she's spent on her own at the far end of the table, glancing at the Slytherin table to look at what Tom was doing, she finds herself back in the common room crashing into the nearest sofa with a pile of homework that's almost as tall as she is.

 

She soon gets to find out her own preferences about classes.

 

She finds that Herbology, despite Professor Clack being old, wrinkly and unpleasant, is one of her favorite subjects. It helps that the old crone spends the first lesson telling them about all the dangerous plants in the first green house, where their classes will be taking place this year. Before ever stepping foot there, April longs to visit the other green houses, to see the mortal flowers that can take your breath away forever with just one whiff, the knotted trees trunks that could kill a man if he touches their bark by mistake even with just one finger, the thin leaves that can make anyone's throat tighter and tighter until no air passes through if even one leaf is ever dropped in someone's tea cup. The plants in the first green house aren't nearly as dangerous, but they're a good beginning. In the meantime, before she gains access to the full jungle of perils, messing around with dirt under her nails and elbow deep in mud is pretty amazing.  

 

Other classes are great not because of the topic, but of the teacher. Some of them are absolutely fascinating, a word April has never used lightly, or at all. The first time she walks up the stairs to the top of the Astronomy Tower, Professor Hotate greets everyone with a finger on the lips and an order to stay silent for a full ten minutes, quietly staring at the moon. Then he starts his lesson like nothing happened. Astronomy isn't her favorite subject exactly, but that kind of attitude is fun. She loves messing with people and likes it when others do, too. And although she doesn't understand why she should care about how the stars are aligned if she can just focus on real magic, like turning people into slugs and pouring salt all over them, at least, Astronomy gives her an excuse to be outside without breaking the rules.

 

Because one thing April didn't foresee about Hogwarts is all the rules she has to follow. Can't arrive late in class (one morning she couldn't make it on time because she couldn't find the room and she was too upset to ask for directions, and she lost five points for Hufflepuff − Alison Gliffert was a little bit upset over this, even though she wouldn't say), can't leave the Common Room at night (there's Prefects patrolling), can't show up to class without your homework (she hasn't been guilty of that, but there's been a few slackers in the Gryffindor group she shares some classes with), can't walk into the Forbidden Forest (she did try that on her second day of class as soon as she learned about the forest in some overheard conversation at supper, but she was caught before even reaching the trees and lost her house fifteen points), can't access the Restricted Section of the library (she's heard all the cool books are there but Mrs Swanson was extremely clear in her rules), and sadly, can't be outside after dark.

 

Sadly, just like these rules, some classes are rather boring and a tad disappointing. She didn't think she'd have to ever be bored again after math at muggle school (she's soon learning to put her past of non-aware witch behind her) but the minute she sets foot in her class of History of Magic, she feels like running back out and go take a nap, because that would be wildly more exciting than listening to Professor Varmn discuss the best history books for hours on. 

 

It certainly doesn't help that Professor Barney Varnm talks about this year's Headboy  _all the time_. A certain Ben Wyatt, a Ravenclaw, no less. April doesn't know if her failed interactions with Derek and Ben played a part in this, but she is starting to feel like Ravenclaws may actually be a bit boring, if not annoying. She stays on her guard when she's around them, though she's still toying the idea of sitting next to Orin Chen. She'll begrudgingly admit that sharing a table with Shauna (who always has a spare quill if April breaks hers and is from an all wizard family, so she knows a lot of interesting stuff) or Taylor (who is extremely kindhearted and always ready to help or share) isn't the absolute worst. 

 

She does manage to get a seat next to Orin in Potions, though. With his too long robe and his staring eyes, he turns out to be the main thing that is  _not_  disappointing about the class. 

 

April expected Potions to be about brewing bubbling poisons, cooking up a potion that could turn her enemies into piglets that she'd bring to the slaughter, mixing up a juice so powerful it could barely be contained by crystal vials. How far from the truth that turned out to be. Instead of deadly poisons, Professor Lipscomb only gives instructions to make  _antidotes_. She  _guesses_  that if some fiend tries to end her days with a illicit foreign venom, she might have some use of an antidote, but aside from that, there is little to gain from that class. At least, the cutting and hacking and peeling all the ingredients part is fun because she gets to play with knives, and even better when she has Orin next to her nodding along (so briefly she could miss it) with her grumbling complaints. He never says a word, which, as far as she's concerned, is far better than criticizing. She feels like they could be friends some day. 

 

Not that she can really say the same for any of the Hufflepuffs. As the first few days go by, she still can't wrap her head around the Sorting Hat's decision. She's reached the only logical conclusion that the Hat is defective. What could she have in common with Millie's constant cheerfulness, even in the morning, with Chris's enthusiasm to get everyone to speak to each other, no matter the year they're in, with Shauna's kindness towards everyone? She hasn't made any point to actually talk to any of them because it's obvious she doesn't fit in here.

 

She actually believes she doesn't really need to. She spends all her classes paying attention to the teacher if the topic is interesting or daydreaming about the dark arts if it isn't. Come night, she finds the same nice armchair (not a sofa, as that would leave room for someone to join her) and buries herself in either her homework or the books about further studies of dark matters that she's borrowed from the library. Being a student is tiring and even Baby Satan now croaks lazily in protest when she shoves him into her pocket in the early morning. One morning, he even refuses to come and the only thing she can do is hope he won't get eaten by one of the cats wandering in the Hufflepuff basement (she assumes they belong to some of the students).

 

It's good he didn't come, too, because her first lesson that day might give him motion sickness, because it is flying. With Slytherin. This is the first class that April shares with them and truth be told, she is rather happy to finally spend some time with the only person she kind of considers her friend in this school. Who was lucky enough to get the right sort.

 

Tom doesn't even notice her when he arrives on the lawn that is supposed to be their classroom of flight. He's surrounded by at least five other people, telling a story and snickering at his own joke. The other Slytherins burst out laughing − Tom certainly has made some friends.

 

"I swear it's true, guys!" He says in his shrill voice April used to hate but which now is the only thing she has left of her bright future in Slytherin that was meant to be. "He totally said that!"

 

"Tommy T., you are a master of comedy," Jean-Ralphio says, slapping Tom's shoulder playfully. "I wish I could've seen his face."

 

April frowns. She's always known Tom hangs out with annoying people, but she didn't think that  _these_  annoying people would be lucky enough to be Slytherins, and not her.

 

"Oy, Ludgate!" Tom calls out when he spots her on the far end of the long line of broomsticks laid out on the ground and joins her.

 

"Hey," she replies, secretly happy that he would choose to spend this class with her. 

 

"You doing okay? I gotta admit, girl, I did not expect you to end up in Hufflepuff!"

 

"Makes two of us," she grumbles.

 

In front of her, Shauna is laughing politely at something Alison said, having fun with a friend. What a weirdo.

 

"So, what's cracking?"

 

She's about to answer truthfully when Jean-Ralphio pats Tom on the shoulder and grabs his full attention. April is left to her own thoughts − a dangerous thing, and she's happy that they get interrupted by the teacher. 

 

The professor is a witch of maybe forty years, her hair more like a lion's mane, but the black and yellow brim on the collar of her robes makes April think she's probably a Hufflepuff. April sighs.  _Another_  one? The woman introduces herself as Professor Lewis and, while her warm smile seems genuine, she does not look like she's the kind of teacher to get cross. 

 

"Now, what class have we here? Slytherins and, yes, some Hufflepuffs! Welcome everyone."

 

She winks at them with a kindness that so far most Hufflepuffs around April have displayed. She's starting to wonder if maybe she should try it, just to fit in, but then thinks better of it. She's  _not_  kind. What sort of thought is this? 

 

"This is the first flying lesson of the year. This class will be held until the first Quidditch match in November. Hopefully, you'll know how to ride a broom by then. And if you don't, I'm afraid you might not be cut for this."

 

There are a few chuckles. Professor Lewis has a warmth that April hasn't found in most of the other teachers and if she has to be perfectly honest about it, she kind of likes that aura of gentle strength. It reminds her of Professor Swanson, the Head of Hufflepuff. She briefly wonders if the two of them know each other,  but then the instruction begins. 

 

"All right, you're all gonna want to stand in front of your broomstick and shout "UP" real clear! Go on, then, do it."

 

As Professor Lewis says the word "Up", the broom in front of her springs to her hand. It reminds April of the charm they've learned about yesterday, "Accio", but this is even more impressive in that it apparently doesn't require the use of a wand. Maybe she'll look into it, see how it actually works. Probably not. She looks around the group of Slytherins and Hufflepuffs to find that most students haven't been able to call the broom to jump to them. She tries it herself. The broom makes a sloppy attempt at jumping towards her hand but falls a foot short of it. She grabs it regardless. There is little point in using some spell to pick up a broom anyway.

 

As Professor Lewis gives the rest of the instructions, April tries to pay full attention. It's not that she's really into sports, which flying seems to be a form of, but she can already think of a thousand uses of a flying broomstick in her life and besides, it doesn't seem that complicated. And it's not like she has anything to distract her. Tom is entirely focused on a whispered conversation with Jean-Ralphio on his left. 

 

"All right, on my mark, I want you all to tap on the ground real hard and get your broom handle up," she says and Tom still isn't listening. "And after flying about five feet high, you'll come back down. Is that understood?"

 

There's a general mutter of agreement and she raises her hand to show them it's time. At once, the pupils all start to rise into the air − still low enough. April can barely believe it. This is another undeniable proof that she was made to be a witch. This is her element. This is what she was born to be. Even though she's barely above ground level, already her feet aren't touching the grass anymore and it's  _magical_. She can already see herself traveling like this, with an enchanted backpack to carry all her stuff, all the magical things she can carry. Maybe she'd go to another country, see if the Norwegian trolls are as impressive as the English ones she's read about in her book about dangerous beasts.

 

Her daydreaming is brutally interrupted by Tom slamming into her from her left. She is pushed off balance and grabs onto his sleeve however she can, but to no avail. The both of them collapse to the ground and even though the fall was very short, April feels her arm crush under her stomach with the weight of Tom above her. 

 

"April!" Several Hufflepuffs rush by her side and help her up before the teacher can even reach her. 

 

"Are you okay?" Shauna asks and lets April rest on her shoulder.

 

"That must have hurt!" Taylor says and pats her back.

 

 

"My leggies hurt!" says Tom, who has been whining from the moment he fell. "You broke my legs, April!"

 

In no time, Professor Lewis is there to check on them. She finds that April has a broken bone but fixes it with a swirl of her wand − she explains that after twenty years of teaching flying, she's had to learn the basics of medicinal witchcraft. April flexes her fingers painlessly. Impressive. Tom, after examination, doesn't even have anything hurt. It doesn't prevent him from whimpering for the rest of the class, asking to be spared from flying for today. 

 

April asks for no such thing and as the class continues, she starts to notice people glancing at her. It was rather obvious that the Slytherins weren't as quick to rush to help when Tom fell. Jean-Ralphio patted his back and a girl gave him his broom back, but that's really the extent of it. However, as the class goes by, they are staring and dare she say glaring at April. As if she's personally slighted them. She contrasts that with the way the Hufflepuffs are glancing at her with a friendly smile, making sure she's okay, and even at Tom, and she is quite frankly very confused. 

 

She  _knows_  it's not entirely her fault they crashed. She saw how Tom wasn't paying any intention to the instructions and even though she was day dreaming, she knew what she was doing. Yet it's as if she's slighted the entire house by having a mild accident with one of them. After the lesson, she asks Tom if he's okay, and he offhandedly replies that he's  _fine_ , but she senses a different tone from his usual chatter and she feels like things have changed.

 

The flying class stays on April's mind the rest of the day. It's not so much that she feels strongly about what happened, but she's left with a certain unease towards Slytherins. It's not that she'd expected Tom to act any different, but still, it leaves a bitter taste. Is this what Slytherin is like? No one caring about anyone but themselves and their own house? April always thought she hated people, but the speed at which Hufflepuffs came rushing to her help, that still means something. Or so she feels. She hasn't said her thanks to Shauna and the others − maybe she won't say anything. 

 

She feels that maybe she should be wary of what happened. If she's not careful, she might start making friends here. The prospect makes her shudder.

 

The common room is filled with its usual friendly chatter. Through the round windows near the ceiling, the dimming light of the late afternoon is giving the room a relaxing atmosphere that leaves April wanting to take a nap. It's still warm outside and many students are still spending time doing their homework on the grass before it gets completely dark. The best spots are still free and April crashes into the plump little yellow armchair that has become her favorite over the past few days. She's about to get to her homework when a cat jumps in front of her. It's big and fluffy and apparently wants to cuddle with her. April has always liked pets − she's more than happy to let this overlarge kitty onto her lap and stroke it with one hand while her other grabs her quill and tries her best to keep the parchment straight against the hardcover of a book. Why wizards think they're above the use of paper and pen is beyond her. 

 

She's halfway through her Transfiguration essay when the door to the boys' dormitories opens on the other side of the common room and a boy calls out across the room.

 

"Ribbit! There you are!"

 

She turns around to look at who has just spoken and suddenly time stops. She recognizes him as one of the boys chastised by Professor Swanson on the first day of class, and he is  _beautiful_. His hair is shining under the late sunlight, his face a huge smile and he is  _tall_ , so tall, even though he looks barely a couple years older than her. She gulps. Suddenly her chest feels tight, her cheeks warm, and she wants to go hide under her bed. 

 

"Thanks so much, wow, I thought I'd lost him!" He says and April realizes he's talking to her.

 

"Oh… erm…" 

 

Her throat feels dry and she hates that she's been staring like an idiot instead of saying something smart. He plops down in the sofa right next to her armchair and holds up his arms. She stares at him, then at his hands, then at him again, then her brain starts working again and she gives him the cat.

 

"Thanks!" He says and hugs the cat so close she wishes  _she_  was a feline.

 

"It's fine."

 

"So, erm… Ribbit?"

 

"Yeah!" He laughs freely, openly, and he is  _perfect_  for it. "That's his name right now."

 

"Right now?"

 

"Yeah, I mean," he scratches his neck, "I like names sometimes, but then I realize they suck, ya know? Like, last week, he was Fluffy Paws, but that's kinda lame, right?"

 

"Kinda," she chuckles ever so casually − or at least she tries. 

 

"But today I found this toad and it was croaking super loud and I just thought that Ribbit sounds cool for a cat. It's like a, erm, a  _metaphor_ , ya know?"

 

  
_A paradox_ , April thinks, but she nods and before she has the time to think of something cool and interesting to say so that he doesn't leave, he gets a toad out of his pocket. There is no mistaking these two pointy bumps on his head that she thought were horns when she named him and the scar across his left eye.

 

"Baby Satan!"

 

"Oh, is he yours?" He asks with a beam that makes her want to stare at his face for the rest of the night. "What's his name, you say?"

 

"Baby Satan," she says and gets back her croaking toad.

 

"Awww, you named him Baby! That's so cute."

 

"No it's not! I mean… I named him Satan."

 

"Oh yeah. That's like, a Muggle creature, right?"

 

She stares quizzically but he's just smiling warmly and she figures that maybe it's a pureblood wizard versus muggleborn kind of thing. Millicent, who is halfblood, was talking about the differences just two nights ago with a pureblood sixth year in their dormitory. April overheard them bonding over the similarities between their upbringing. She supposes this is a case of a big difference.

 

"Something like that…"

 

"Ha! Thought so," He grins and Ribbit is purring in his arms − not far from what April is feeling. "So, erm, I'm Andy. Andy Dwyer. What's your name again?"

 

"April Ludgate."

 

"Awesome meeting you! And Baby Satan, too."

 

As it turns out, there is a lot more to learn about Hogwarts than just classes and rules. She soon comes to know that the Hufflepuff badge on her chest isn't quite as dreary as it was before. Not if Andy is wearing the same. She also learns that he is in third year, that he has six older brothers and that two of them are still in Hogwarts as well. His mom sells magical pets and his dad worked for the Ministry of Magic. He loves Hogwarts and his favorite option is Muggle Studies with Professor Swanson − although he's only had one class so far. He's great at Care of Magical Creatures but not that great at Charms, he wishes he could play for the Quidditch team, he's goofy and funny and he makes April wish she could listen to him for hours. Incidentally, that night, she does, and perhaps the knowledge that there is someone willing to talk to her for so long is the best thing she's learned this week. 

 

And the next Monday, she also learns that Professor Barkley isn't satisfied with botched essays, but it was worth a whole night's chatting with Andy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, if you read this and enjoyed it, consider leaving a comment to tell me what you liked :) It really means the world to get feedback.


	3. Kindness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there is a lot of Quidditch, and April doesn't really care for Quidditch.

The wind is whistling against April's ears, swallowing her cheering shout outs for Andy. She is sitting on the highest seats of the tower closest to the Quidditch goals and the chilly breeze of early October is starting to get to her.

  
"Yeah, go Andy!" She claps, and even though he's probably not heard her, he swirls around in the air, waving in victory.

One thing she's learned about Andy is that he loves being cheered on. One thing she's learned about herself is that she loves cheering on him. 

 

Andy shouts something (it's impossible to make out his words), then flies toward her in his lopsided sort of way (she wonders what Professor Lewis would have to say to that), landing next to her on the bench with a loud _poof_.

 

"So, how was I?" He asks, his smile a big smile full of hope.

 

April gulps. Some day, she might be able to take that kind of smile and have her heart beat at a normal pace, but that day hasn't come yet.

 

"Pretty good," she peeps in that ridiculous voice she has when she's around Andy, but too low for him to understand what she's saying. The wind is fairly strong at this altitude and he leans down close to her to hear her better.

 

"You were awesome!" She repeats, closer, and his grin gets even brighter.

 

He holds up his hand for a high five − it stings a little bit in the cold, but she gives it nonetheless. She should start wearing gloves, but they're yellow and black, and really, wouldn't it just be better if they were just green? 

 

"Man, I love Quidditch so much…"

 

That much, April knows. For several weeks now, Andy and her have been spending quite some time together and most of that has been her cheering on him during impromptu solo Quidditch practice in the smooth orange light of dusk.

 

"Isn't it just, like, the best sport ever?"

 

"Erm…"

 

The truth is that April doesn't understand much of the rules, and much less knows how reenacting his favorite moments of great final matches of some past world cups is going to help Andy at all, but she nods along anyway.

 

"Oh, wait, I always forget! You haven't played Quidditch, right? Since your family's Muggles. Or maybe without flight?"

 

She snorts.

 

"Just brooms between your legs, stuck on the ground? Sounds dumb."

 

He laughs his loud, earthy, warm laugh. He always does that whenever she says that something is lame − April hasn't really met anyone who laughs as much as Andy before.

 

"Yeah, it totally sounds dumb," he says, still laughing. "But, erm, did you play sports or something?"

 

April thinks about that, how life used to be just a few months ago in elementary. Not a time she likes to think back on.

 

"Sometimes basketball," she says, even though the truth is closer to "nothing at all" because really, you need friends to play sports.

 

"Shut up!" he shouts out as if she'd just revealed a crucial informatiom. "That's totally like the Muggle version of Quidditch!"

 

"Erm, yeah, sure," she says, because she wants that smile to keep going, always. "Yeah, it totally is."

 

They walk back to the castle under the evening sun, Andy's broom on his shoulder, and listening to him talk about his hopes and dreams about Quidditch is a fine way to spend the time. It's not weird, it's not like she spends _all_ of her waking time with him. They don't even have classes together. He tells her about all of his, though. It's like there is an endless sparkle inside him and he can just keep talking and talking about anything any time. April admires that. She usually has no idea what to say after a few words. But Andy, you tell him you saw a Chocolate Frog jump off the table this morning and he'll find a thousand things to say to that. And most of the time, they're nice things. 

 

"Andy, your cat is a _nightmare_ ," Burly greets them as soon as they crawl into the basement.

 

"But he's super cute, right?" Andy laughs it off, exactly like April would expect him to.

 

"He got red ink on my bed, I had to ask a seventh year to help me get it all out because it was everywhere! It looked like a freaking crime scene!"

 

Andy makes his way to the couches, April following him closely, but Burly doesn't stop there. April doesn't know much about him, and everything she knows is that he sucks. He is Andy's roommate, apparently already was last year and is very bitter about still having been roomed in the same dormitory. There are rumors that Andy is not the ideal roommate. As far as April knows, they're perfectly founded.

 

"Aww, Roderick Plumpton is a cute little trickster," Andy says and pets the cat that jumps onto his lap as soon as he crashes on the big black striped sofa that's the closest to the fire − they're still both a little chilly from outside. "Aren't you, kitty?"

 

"Roderick Plumpton, is that his new name?"

 

"Yeah, he's one of my favorites! How about yours?" 

 

"I… erm, I don't know who that is."

 

"Oh right, sorry. He was a Quidditch player."

 

Oh, right. It always comes back to Quidditch with Andy. Not that she blames him. The tryouts for the Hufflepuff team are this Friday and she'd be all about it too if she wanted in. But then, she suspects that if he does get in, he will be even more about Quidditch than ever. Oh well. 

 

Burly leaves them when he sees that nothing is going to get Andy to really take his complaint seriously. April realizes that she is, in fact, rather grateful for the roommates she's been given. Millie is okay, if a bit dull, and Madison is softspoken and gentle and doesn't bother her, and the others are just as fine. Well, of course, they're _Hufflepuffs_ , so they're by nature boring, but she could have been stuck with the likes of Burly and she didn't, so she has that to be thankful for. Not that Andy ever lets it even tamper with his good cheer. In fact, April has yet to see him have a bad day. She's not even sure anything could bring him down. 

 

That is, until that Friday comes. 

 

The day starts out as any other. Birds and crap waking her up, checking on Baby Satan, getting up, washing up, having breakfast in the Great Hall. As reluctant as she is to admit it, April now has a favorite spot at the Hufflepuff table, near the end so she can check other tables, but not too close to the entrance so no one bothers her with questions or looks. She spots Tom walking into the Great Hall and their eyes meet. He nods, then looks away. Ever since the flying class incident, they've been on "vaguely nodding at each other" terms. April has to say she hasn't and isn't going to make any effort either way. 

 

Hufflepuff students warned her: interhouse friendships are amazing, but they do require a little bit of an effort on both parts to find time together. April isn't sure that this is true: she only sees Orin a few times a week, with no effort on either of their part, yet she is mostly sure they're friends by now. They are most definitely on "vaguely nodding at each other" terms as well. They sit next to each other every time they're in class together. They haven't talked, per se, but there's some sort of bond there. Other Hufflepuffs are probably just dumb.

 

Just as she's helping herself to some porridge and a cup of milk, Andy plops down in the chair in front of her and grabs a piece of toast. He gulfs it down before she even takes her first spoonful of porridge, and gets himself another. His hands are fidgeting and he is lost in thoughts.

 

"You okay?"

 

He gulps and takes a last bite, then pours himself a full cup of pumpkin juice (April was disappointed to find out that she does not, in fact, like pumpkin juice − it would have been so cool) that he drinks up before answering. 

 

"I'm fine…"

 

"Okay…"

 

He gets another toast, and a fourth. 

 

"What if I don't make it?" He blurts out. "What if I never get onto the team? I always thought I'd go pro after Hogwarts and just win a match against Germany because right when their Seeker is about to catch the Snitch, I hit him with a Bludger and our Seeker gets the Snitch instead, and England wins the World Cup, but what if that never happens?"

 

He stares down at his fingers, his eyes big and full of sorrow, and April just wants to reach over and give him a hug. Not that she thinks about hugs with him or wants that. Not really. That'd be weird and gross. 

 

"You're gonna be great," she mumbles, unsure of what to say. "You can totally do just that."

 

He looks up.

 

"You really think so?" 

 

"Yeah, I mean, you're so good, they _have_ to get you on the team."

 

"Aww, thanks April! You're the best."

 

Without further ado, he stands up and no doubt goes out to the pitch to sneak in a tiny bit more practice before classes. April lets a short breath of relief. If Andy isn't happy, who is going to be? 

 

Sadly, it so happens that she'll have to find that out. After uneventful classes (or rather, as uneventful as things can get at Hogwarts) and dinner where she can't find Andy, she makes her way to the Quidditch pitch and soon finds herself in the middle of a small crowd. Quite as could be expected, many people have come, either to try their luck and get a spot on the Hufflepuff Quidditch team or, in greater numbers, to watch it happen. After trying to spot Andy and failing (life really is harder when you're short), she finds a seat as far away from the others as possible, but Madison and Shauna notice her and sit down on either side of her. 

 

"Friend of yours trying out?" Shauna asks. 

 

April grunts. 

 

"Andy, right?"

 

"Mmh."

 

"Oh, are you friends with Andy?" Madison asks. "He is my friend Craig's roommate." 

 

April tries to remember other roommate anecdotes than the ones related to Burly…

 

"You're friends with Crazy Craig?" It comes back to her suddenly − the always shrieking one.

 

Madison laughs politely − everything she always does is ever so polite.

 

"Since childhood, yes. I'm here to see him try out, in fact."

 

And try out, he does, but Andy comes first. April cheers on him, even though it feels awkward to in a crowd, and his performance seems decent, but then older students' turn comes and it breaks April's heart that even she can notice that quite a few of them seem more experienced and secured with a bat in their hand than Andy did. Even Craig, though he is trying to get the Seeker spot, flies a little bit steadier and overall better, in the strict sense. April vastly prefers the kind of wobbly flying style that she's gotten used to when she's watching Andy practice, but Chris's expression cannot lie: he was more impressed by other students than by Andy. 

 

And indeed, when he announces the names of the new team members after everyone has had their turn, Andy hasn't made the list, not even as a back up. Even from her seat this high up, April sees how disheartened he is. She darts down the stairs despite Shauna and Madison asking what's wrong and telling her to wait, and when she reaches the field, he's still there right in the middle, lost. She grabs his arm from behind and he stands there unmoving, as if not noticing her. 

 

"Andy?"

 

He doesn't reply, but then, he pulls her into a big hug, and she feels his chest heaving in sorrow, as if he was tearing up. _This really wasn't what I planned._ The plan was to give him a congratulatory hug, maybe, if she had the guts, but nothing like this. She pats his back with as much empathy as such a gesture can convey, but the truth is she feels just as lost as him. 

 

"You were awesome," she tells him. "They suck. They all suck."

 

"No they don't!" He cries out and lets go of her. "They were great! I was the screw-up."

 

"No you weren't! I thought you were so cool."

 

He gives a little smile that is nothing like his usual ones, but is still heartwarming because she's the one who put it on his face.

 

"I mean, I can still try next year…" He says, picking up his broom and gesturing for them to go back to Hogwarts. "I just… I really wanted this. After last year…"

 

April doesn't say anything because there isn't really anything to say. She's going to be here for him under any circumstances, because they've become friends now, but she has nothing to say to him being so sad, even though he puts on a brave face. 

 

In the Common Room, the newly formed Quidditch team is already talking strategies for the upcoming match. Chris has cast a spell that made hologram versions of the seven Hufflepuff players fly around them and seems to be gesturing, pointing, explaining. April isn't really surprised to see Chris be a competent team captain, but she'd thought to hear it from Andy. 

 

She chooses to sit on the opposite end of the basement. They crash onto a couch from which they can't see the team (which April notices Craig is not a member of enough) and even though they can still hear them, it's better than nothing. Andy's cat jumps onto his lap and begs to be petted. Sometimes April wonders if cats can sense the emotions of their humans. Toads certainly don't. Baby Satan is mostly apathetic no matter what she is feeling. Or is he pretending just like she is?

 

"Aww, Merlin's Beard, you're just the best kitty ever, aren't you?"

 

"He really is," April says, scratching his ears. 

 

Andy does seem to cheer up, if only a little. They start to pull out their homework and study quietly, which is unusual for Andy but better than having him upset. A couple times, he stops writing, and seems lost in thoughts, and there isn't much April can do but try to catch his eyes and smile. After a while, and some endless fidgeting, he stands up and gestures for April to follow him, up and out of the Common Room.

 

"Where are we…" She starts but he gestures to a little bit down the hall.

 

A tall painting of a fruit bowl. What is Andy thinking about? She's even more puzzled when he reaches out and _tickles_ the painted pear near the bottom. And then the painting reveals a doorway, Andy walks through it, and everything makes a little bit more sense.

 

"The kitchen…" She whispers, amazed by everything she sees. 

 

A huge low-ceiling room is filled to the brink with shelves carrying all foods you can imagine, oversized ovens already releasing the sweetest smells of bread, pies, cakes for the morning breakfast table tomorrow, all sorts of magical cooking instruments flying through the air to be caught by a whole regiment of little elves. April has heard of them before, but never seen one in person, and they are even more curious than she imagined them. Bobby mentioned that they had not one but three house elves at home, and she wonders what he'd say to the hundred of elves present here, at least. 

 

"Er, excuse me, Mr Elf?" Andy asks the nearest one and at last some of them seem to notice the two students who just wandered into their workplace. 

 

"Oh, Master Dwyer, good evening!" The elf replies in an insufferably high-pitched voice. "How may we help you tonight?"

 

"Do you have, like, snacks? Like scones? Or pie?"

 

"Of course, Sir, right away!" 

 

Half a dozen elves scatter across the room and sprint back to them carrying plates and glasses. One of them shoves a mug of hot chocolate into April's hand, another a scone in her mouth, and a third a plateful of cookies on her arms. Andy is having _a blast_ , accepting every single thing, taking a bite of them all. By the time his arms are full with all kinds of delicious treats, he's already eaten a dozen of mini-cakes and seems to be ready to eat ten times more. 

 

"Goodnight, you guys!" He says in (April is happy to observe) his usual cheerful voice as he leaves the kitchen back through the painting doorway. 

 

"Do you come here often?" April asks when the door closes and becomes the unsuspecting painting once again. "They totally knew your name."

 

Andy, in the middle of a bite, gulps it down and nods.

 

"Yeah, my brother Anthony told me about it when I first came here, and I was sad about leaving home, and then I was happy cause these cakes are awesome!"

 

In the Common Room, Andy's friends are soon to notice that he has brought half of the kitchens with him and come take a cookie or a scone for themselves. Most of them are aware by now that he hasn't been accepted into the team and give him a pat on the back or a smile, or try to crack a joke. Andy smiles back and, as the night progresses and they're just hanging out eating comfort food, that smile looks more genuine every time. At some point, the Quidditch team seems to have finished their meeting and Chris joins them. By now, it's just April and Andy sitting on opposite ends of a long couch, and he sits down right between them − April frowns at that but stays silent.

 

"How's it going in here?"

 

Andy, who was chewing on a piece of candy, sits up straight and puts his hands on his laps, wringing them awkwardly.

 

"Fine."

 

Chris pats Andy's shoulder affectionately, catching his gaze and not letting it go.

 

"You did very well out there, Andy."

 

Andy shrugs and looks away despite Chris's best efforts. 

 

"You know what I saw when I saw you at the tryouts?" 

 

Andy shakes his head.

 

"I saw a boy with a very bright future. I saw a boy who missed the Bludger twice, but never let it deflate him and kept going, and did his best." 

 

"My best sucks…"

 

"Your best is only your best for now, Andy," Chris says soothingly. "You are going to keep practicing, and keep your motivation, and your best is going to get better and better every day." 

 

"But what if I never get better?" Andy says and his mouth is pouting with all the sadness April hoped he'd forgotten. 

 

"Nonsense! You were already so much better this year than last year! You have so much spirit." 

 

Andy slowly looks up and gives Chris a small smile. Chris pulls him against him in a side hug and almost does the same to April but she jerks back into her side of the couch and he just lets it go. 

 

"Now, I'm not going to say anything about the cakes because I know tonight was tough for you, but let me remind you as a Prefect that students are discouraged to add to the load of work the house elves already have."

 

"Okay," Andy says sheepishly. 

 

Chris musses up his hair and gets up, no doubt to go to bed. Andy and April stare at each other, the little smile still right there on Andy's face and mirrored on hers.

 

"I think might go too," Andy says after a moment of silence. 

 

"Oh. Okay." 

 

He seems to ponder upon something, then makes his decision and pulls her into another crushing hug. This one is much less awkward, much more heartfelt than the one they shared earlier today. 

 

"Thanks, April."

 

"It's nothing."

 

"You're super cool to be friends with, you know that?" 

 

And before she can get her brain to think of anything, anything at all to reply and sound cool and not at all awkward, he gets up and climbs through the circular door leading to the boys' rooms. Alone with her thoughts, there is nothing to do but go to bed as well. And sleep doesn't seem to come easily at all, with Andy's hugs stuck in her mind forever now, and his last sentence all she can think of. 

 

When she wakes up, one look through the round windows near the ceiling tells her that it's well past time to be up and at it, before she remembers that it is in fact the weekend and she can sleep as long as she wants. On the other end of the room, she hears the whispers of that sixth year girl whose name April still isn't sure of, talking with Millicent. She squints her eyes shut, drags the thick comforter over her head and falls back asleep. Her second waking up is met with utter silence. 

 

"Hello?" 

 

In April's experience, on weekend days, there is always at least one or two girls hanging out in the dormitory, reading, sharing stories or other boring stuff, but there seems to be absolutely no one today. The bathroom is also completely empty, which is just as well. April takes a nice warm bath, shaping a skull with the suds, and there is no one to knock on the door and ask her to please be a little bit faster. She grabs her books from the dormitory and finds that there is almost nobody in the Common Room. Near a big mantelpiece with a portrait of Helga Hufflepuff, a group of other first-years wave at her and in such a silent room, there is no other choice but to join them. 

 

"You're up late!" Taylor smiles.

 

April groans and plops down on an armchair, as far from the others as possible without being obvious. All of them just smile and get back to whatever they were doing quietly. 

 

"Where's everyone?" She asks after a while, because no one seems to remark on it.

 

"Oh, weren't you told? It's the first Hogsmeade weekend."

 

Now that April thinks about it, she does remember hearing about this. Hogsmeade, an entirely magical town. She can't wait to visit it in two years. There is an old shop that sells books describing spells so dangerous they were outlawed, filled with pictures that could burn your retinas forever, and all sorts of artifacts so powerful and thrilling that…

 

"Oh, April, by the way, we got you this."

 

They hand her a small package that contains all her favorite food from breakfast − these sour sweets that somehow always end up by her seat on the table, the lemon cookies that are hard to bite into but so sweet to the taste, some cinnamon scones and raspberry jam.

 

"Since you missed out breakfast."

 

"Cool," she mutters and takes it, and they all look at her as she grabs a cookie and takes a bite of it, but she glares at them and they know not to insist. 

 

"So, Shauna, you were saying…" Bobby starts and no one is looking at her anymore.

 

April feels a slight tinge in her heart. _That was mean. They were thoughtful, and you were mean._ Usually, the thought of that makes her proud − she _is_ mean, and it's a good thing. But there's being mean with dumbasses, and then there's being mean with people who just brought her her favorite breakfast food and aren't _that_ annoying. In fact, as she starts to listen in at least a little bit, she finds that their conversation isn't too boring and that, even though she has no desire to really participate, there's worse places to be than this basement, surrounded by these people who are, after all and despite her highest hopes, her housemates. It's better when Andy is here, by far, but just kind of tuning in to what they're saying as she reads and eats cookies, really, it's _fine_. Fine enough that it lasts her the whole day, or at least the rest of the day since she woke up late, and she isn't completely annoyed. Sure, she spoke maybe ten words the whole time, but it's better than none at all, probably? 

 

At the end of the day, students start to pop into the Common Room by small groups, first only a few of them, then many, and then she spots Andy and none of the others matter. She tries not to make the first move, but then he sees her and beams, and she can't help waving at him with a smile.

 

"April, I had the _best_ day of my life!"

 

He sure looks like he did. It's like yesterday never happened: April has never seen him smile this broadly. He sits down right next to her, removing his Hufflepuff hat and muffler, and putting down a small bag that says Honeydukes in beautifully curved letters. 

 

"You can take some if you want, by the way, I just…" 

 

She opens the bag, picks a round gold-colored piece of candy. She pops it into her mouth and immediately starts feeling all fuzzy and warm in the chest. She'll never get used to magical candy.

 

"Okay, so I was with Aaron, because he'd promised to show me around, right? Cause it was my first time in Hogsmeade."

 

April nods.

 

"So how was it?"

 

Andy throws his head back, his eyes sparkling.

 

"I can't even describe it…"

 

"Come on, tell me!" 

 

"Okay, okay…"

 

He leans towards her, and looks just so happy April feels it too, and it's not just the heat of the candy.

 

"So I was at Honeydukes, and I bought candy, and then as I was getting out of the shop, I bumped into a girl…"

 

April nods hesitantly.

 

"And she was the most beautiful girl in the world, April… I think I have a crush."

 

April's heart sinks inside her chest.  Andy's smile is brighter than ever, and yet she finds no comfort in it, far from it.

 

"A crush?"

 

"You know what, crush sounds ridiculous. I'm in love. I'm in love with Ann Perkins."

 

Suddenly April feels very cold, and she's fairly sure the candy's effects being over have nothing to do with it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, if you read this and enjoyed it, consider leaving a comment to tell me what you liked :) It really means the world to get feedback. You don't need an AO3 account to leave kudos or post a comment.


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